


the Push thing (you know, the thing)

by shockvaluecola



Series: she thinks i did it but she just can't prove it [1]
Category: The Magicians (TV)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Card Games, Competence Kink, M/M, no beta we die like men
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-01-06
Updated: 2021-01-06
Packaged: 2021-03-16 20:35:29
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 545
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28588125
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/shockvaluecola/pseuds/shockvaluecola
Summary: Part of an expansive s3/s4 rewrite. Magic flows freely and Eliot belongs to himself, but we still need an excuse for Quentin to play Push, right?
Relationships: Quentin Coldwater/Eliot Waugh
Series: she thinks i did it but she just can't prove it [1]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/2111475
Comments: 12
Kudos: 46
Collections: Peaches and Plums Stockings 2020





	the Push thing (you know, the thing)

**Author's Note:**

  * For [redtoblack](https://archiveofourown.org/users/redtoblack/gifts).



> oops did i say i wasn't writing any stockings :)

"There's a weapon, okay? There's a weapon strong enough to kill a god," Julia had said. "If we use it right. We can get it. There's a Push game happening tonight."

The monster wearing Alice had been convinced to stay home and play games with Julia and Kady while Eliot and Quentin went to get the weapon. Quentin wasn't even sure if it knew where they had gone, they hadn't exactly asked permission to go, but they were here.

"Protection amulet, sort of all-purpose," Quentin said, handing it over.

Lionel looked it over, then handed it back. "Not good enough. If you can't buy in, make room for someone who can." Nothing personal, just business.

"We'll sweeten the pot," Eliot declared, straightening a little. He stepped closer and reached up, removing his tie pin.

"No, _Eliot_ ," Quentin said softly, but Eliot ignored him.

"This was forged in Fillory," he said, tossing it down on the table.

Quentin gave a stressed-out little sigh. He could have talked the guy into taking the amulet, and in a lot of rooms, mentioning Fillory would just get laughed out of town. But the raven on its perch squawked, and Lionel raised an eyebrow, looking between them as he leaned forward, then looking down to examine the pin. He stared at it for a moment, then looked up again.

"This and the amulet both?"

Quentin started to answer, but Eliot cut across him. "No. We keep the amulet, just this."

Lionel gave the pin another long look. The crow squawked again and he looked back at it. It fluttered its wings. Betraying nothing, he looked up at them again. "Welcome to the game." He extended a hand to Quentin.

So the game began. 

Whitley was easy. She got smug quickly, blew all her high cards fast. He'd won when she only had eight points on the board.

Roman was more subtle, playing a more conservative game. He very nearly tricked Quentin into the same mistake Whitley had made. Quentin shook his head when he realized it, narrowing his eyes and smiling a little at his opponent. Roman returned the smile and inclined his head slightly, acknowledging Quentin as a worthy adversary. Quentin won, but it was closer.

Lionel didn't put anything on the table. He didn't have to. Everyone knew what his bet was.

The first hand was easy enough as they sized each other up. Lionel's point. The second hand was Quentin's. He glanced over toward the board, then to Eliot, catching his eye.

Quentin had been so focused in on the game he hadn't even thought about Eliot, but now, with those eyes on him, the weight of that gaze was heavy. _Heady._ Quentin couldn't help looking back for a moment, entranced by him.

As he watched, Eliot sat back in his chair and slowly crossed his legs.

Smirking a little, Quentin turned back to Lionel. He could feel the card tucked into his sock, poised for him to palm it with the hand that would have the amulet wrapped around it under his sleeve. Fucking around with probability was one thing, but it would require an actual transformation for a card that was fixed, and the amulet was perfect to shield against that.

He was gonna win.


End file.
